The OECD would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce of Bergamo, Bergamo Sviluppo, and the provincial and municipal administrations for their co-operation and support during the review process. The OECD acknowledges the constructive and very informative discussions with representatives from all sectoral associations, as well as the Mayor or Bergamo and the Rector of the University of Bergamo. Special thanks go toPaolo Longoni from the Chamber of Commerce of Bergamo, for the overall co-ordination of the project and liaison between the OECD Secretariat and the local team.

This chapter provides a description of the general socio-economic framework of the province of Bergamo, along with an assessment of the challenges and opportunities faced by the province. In particular, the first section provides an analysis of the macroeconomic and regulatory settings of the Italian economy, which represent the economic and institutional contexts within which the economy of Bergamo operates. Then, a detailed description of the territory and demographic structure of Bergamo is provided. Next, the analysis focuses on the economic trends and performance of the province of Bergamo, identifying the main challenges and opportunities for Bergamo. Finally, the last section discusses the possibility of a strategic approach to local governance that can facilitate the implementation of regional development policies.

This chapter evaluates the economic performance of Bergamo to identify strengths and areas for improvement. The chapter has three sections. The first provides a diagnosis of the industrial sector, identifying the importance of the tradeable sector to the regional economy. The manufacturing sector has been particularly important to regional economic performance and has maintained its share of the economy whilst its composition is changing. The second section focuses on some key drivers of productivity for Bergamo’s industry and finds that greater investment in human capital and innovation is required to overcome stagnant productivity growth and declining competitiveness. Section three examines the process of internationalisation for industry in Bergamo. Although export performance is strong, further effort is required to attract foreign investment to shift from lower to higher technological activities.

This chapter focuses on innovation and skills, first analysing trends in investment in research and development, as well as patented innovations. It then examines the role that supply chains and networks play in creating and disseminating innovation and assesses Bergamo’s academic infrastructure. Skills, which play a central role in creating and adapting to innovations, are considered in the second part of the chapter, with a particular focus on adult skills and training.